SNC-Lavalin awarded Canadian Evergreen Line contract

SNC-Lavalin Inc. has been awarded a contract to design, build and finance the Evergreen Line Rapid Transit project in British Columbia, Canada.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) evaluation was undertaken by an evaluation team including leading experts in rapid transit systems design and construction, construction traffic management, finance, environment, engineering and other technical areas.

The Evergreen Line project will link the cities of Burnaby, Port Moody and Coquitlam with an 11-kilometer (seven-mile) advanced light-rapid transit line between Lougheed Town Centre in Burnaby and Douglas College in Coquitlam. The components of the project include elevated and at-grade guideways, a two-kilometer (1.2-mile) bored tunnel, seven stations, power substations, train operating systems, parking facilities and a vehicle storage and light maintenance facility.

The project will fully integrate into the existing SkyTrain system, linking directly to the Millennium Line, with connections to the Expo Line, Canada Line, the West Coast Express and regional bus networks.

Construction cost for the Evergreen Line is estimated to be CA$1.4 billion (US$1.434 billion). Funding is being provided by the government of British Columbia, the Government of Canada and TransLink.

The B.C. government is contributing CA$583 million (US$597 million) and will also oversee construction of the project. The government of Canada is contributing up to CA$417 million (US$427 million). TransLink is contributing CA$400 million (US$409 million) and will operate the Evergreen Line when it is complete.

Construction of the Evergreen Line will create 8,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Early construction works are underway and are laying the groundwork for major construction. Major construction will begin in late fall. The Evergreen Line is on track to be open for service in the summer of 2016.